ly de devil, who hab takee elephan' shape. Why he go back there?"

"Ah! why, I wonder," inquired Caspar. "Do you think," added he, "it is
in the hope of finding us there? If that's his purpose," he continued,
without waiting for a reply, "we shall have no peace so long as he
remains alive. We must either kill him, or he will do as much for us."

"Sahibs," observed the Hindoo, with a significant shake of the head, "we
no able killee him; that elephan' he nebba die."

"Oh, nonsense, Ossy! If that's what you mean," rejoined Caspar,
disdainfully repudiating the superstitious belief of the shikaree;
"there is not much doubt of our being able to kill him, if we once get a
fair shot; and by my word, the sooner we set about it the better. It's
evident, from his having gone back to our hut, that he has some wicked
design. Very likely he remembers being first attacked there by Fritz;
and as he may be under the belief that the dog has retreated there, he
is gone in search of him. Ho, Fritz, old fellow! you needn't be afraid.
You can easily get out of his way, whenever you like. Your masters are
in more danger than you, my boy."

"You are sure, Ossaroo," said Karl, who had stood for some time silently
reflecting, "you are sure he has gone to the hut?"

In reply to this interrogation, Ossaroo would not state positively that
he had seen the elephant arrive on the very spot where the hovel stood;
but he had followed his track through the belt of heavy timber; and
then, having climbed a tree, had descried the great quadruped moving in
the direction of the hut. He had no doubt it was for that point he was
making, though with what design Ossaroo could not guess--his
superstitious dread having hindered him from venturing upon any
conjecture.

"One thing is clear," said Karl, after another interval spent in
reflection: "it will be no list our attempting to continue the survey we
have commenced, until the elephant be got out of the way. What you say,
brother Caspar, is quite true. Now that he has become aware of our
presence, and has, moreover, been roused to fury by the wounds we have
given him, it is not likely he will forget what has passed; and we can
hope for neither peace nor safety till we have succeeded in destroying
him. There is no reason why we should not set about it at once, but
every reason why we should. Our very lives depend upon his destruction;
and they will not be safe till that has been accomplished."